Barneys' Windows (and Chef's Holiday Wishes) Revealed

The Rockettes are kicking, a giant tree has been hauled into Rockefeller Center and, on Tuesday, Barneys unveiled its celebrated holiday windows. This year’s theme, “Have a Foodie Holiday,” features caricatures of more than 60 of the country’s best-known chefs. The Buzz caught up with some of the subjects to find out what’s on their holiday gift lists, and what they’ll cook to celebrate the season.

Grant Achatz: “Honestly, since we are in the midst of opening two new projects simultaneously in Chicago – Next and Aviary – while running Alinea, I think my most wanted gift would be a true day off. No phone calls, e-mails, or texts. Preferably on a beach somewhere warm. My favorite holiday dish is a well-roasted turkey, with mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Not very groundbreaking, but when it is done well it is impossible to beat.”

Sunny Anderson: “I don't have a most wanted holiday gift, just time alone with my guy, a comforting home-cooked meal and a day of lounging around watching television in pajamas and playing video games. In terms of a favorite holiday dish, answering with just one dish is kind of like saying you love one kid more than the other. If I tell you macaroni and cheese, the oyster dressing stuffing will get jealous.”

José Andrés: “I love antique and vintage cookbooks as holiday gifts. In general I think cookbooks can be as informative as a history book. If you are trying to learn about another culture there is no better way. And old cookbooks are like a time machine. The foods that were the fashion, how people cooked, how they ate, how much time everything took…. They are fascinating. In terms of food, growing up in Barcelona, we always had escudella at Christmas. Similar to cocido, it is a big pot of chicken, chickpeas, cabbage, carrot, potatoes, cooked together and served in courses – the stock with the pasta, and the meats and vegetables on a platter. The centerpiece is the pilota, a large meatball of pork seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.”

Donatella Arpaia: “For the holidays, I would love a pair of diamond stud earrings. And my favorite holiday meal is the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve.”

Daniel Boulud: "I'll get my holiday wish if everyone who reads this goes online and makes a donation to Citymeals-on-Wheels. It's this time of year, when the rest of us are celebrating, that meals delivered to New York's homebound elderly are most needed. Delivering a single meal costs $6.42. So you can make a big difference with a small gesture. Or go ahead, make a BIG gesture!

And what's my favorite holiday dish? Why limit myself to one when I could suggest an entire menu! This time of year we have a brief window when both white and black truffles are in season, so let's have a black and white menu! We'll start with a black truffled lobster salad, then a spaghetti a la chitarra with white truffle, followed by a whole roasted turbot with black truffle. The pièce de résistance is a poularde poached with black truffle under the skin. In the home stretch we'll spike a Brie with just a little more black truffle and then end on light and airy lemon soufflé topped with white truffle shavings."

Jimmy Bradley: “I want a pet tiger like Al Pacino in Scarface, a red Ferrari 308 with a tan interior and a jet pack. But since I’m not getting any of that I’ll settle for some Paul Smith slippers and a Barneys gift certificate. For the holidays I love to eat raw oysters with mignonette and rye toast with butter. I like 'em because they pair with everything.”

Paula Deen: “My most-wanted holiday gift is for my family to be happy and healthy! I would also love more time with my grandson, Jack. And my favorite holiday dish is standing rib roast and ham.”

Todd English: “It would be cool to get a new Fender Blacktop Series guitar from Santa – I love to play! And bottles of bubbles – Dom Pérignon or Krug – are the perfect holiday gift to give or get because they're always well received and make people happy.”

Thomas Keller: “For the upcoming holidays, I am wishing for a simpler schedule for the coming year. And a holiday is not complete without caviar and champagne! A great pairing for any celebratory occasion.”

Anita Lo: “I want to live the life of travel and leisure for the holidays; but I guess on a more realistic note, I'd really like a new fishing rod and reel or a big, just-dug black Périgord truffle. My favorite holiday dish is the one with sea urchin in it – I like to celebrate the feast of seven fishes on Christmas Eve and every year I'll make something with a ton of uni.”

François Payard: “I like nice watches that are big and chunky. It doesn't need to be the priciest watch but something that is eye-catching. I would also like a nice pair of Italian shoes, because their suits are a little too tight for me. My favorite holiday dish is pheasant. Philippe Bertineau, my former chef, used to make a pheasant with black truffles for Christmas at Payard. It is an incredible dish like my grandfather used to make.”

Wolfgang Puck: “One of my favorite gifts to give is a book called Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide, by Robert M. Parker Jr. He is an outstanding wine authority, and I like this book because it inspires me. I think it makes a great gift because people can see the relationship between the wine and the food, and it also educates them about all the wonderful varieties out there. One of my favorite dishes is a sweet potato gratin with apples, which I normally make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can make it in advance and heat it up slowly, then sprinkle it with breadcrumbs to make it a perfect gratin.”

Gail Simmons: “I love experiences that take me out of my comfort zone, like a gift certificate for a great jazz concert, Broadway show, Thai cooking class or even a trapeze lesson! Things I would never get for myself but all exciting and adventurous. Oh, and chocolate of any kind never hurts either. During this time of year I love my mom's famous Hanukkah latkes with dill and horseradish crème fraîche. They pair perfectly with dry champagne or a chilled shot of vodka.”

Michael Symon: “My most wanted holiday gift is a 1965 black Lincoln convertible. My most favorite holiday dish – my mom’s lasagna.”

Jean-Georges Vongerichten: “What I most want for the holidays is to be able to go away somewhere with my family and spend quality time with them – no work, no interruptions. My favorite holiday dish takes me back to my childhood – Alsatian goose stew with braised red cabbage and mashed potatoes.”

Jonathan Waxman: My most wanted holiday gift is a 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead coupe convertible, blue with gray interior. My favorite holiday dish is chicken breast stuffed with black truffles, served with cardoon gratin.

– Kathleen Squires